Ghosts That We Knew
by mari-hook
Summary: Since he was imprisoned, Loki has become more vicious and vindictive and Sigyn founds herself trapped between his devilish nature and the memories she has of her husband. He is not the same man she married, back when they were young and foolish, but she refuses to believe that all the good in him is gone...
1. Hope in the Darkness

**AN: I believe it would be proper to tell you that I have adopted some things from the Marvel Universe, thus the crossover categorization. Although in Norse Mythology, Odin and Loki are considered blood brothers, I have written Loki as Odin's adoptive son, much like Marvel. Also, I have adopted - so to speak -Marvel's characterization of the characters as they are depicted in the movies (those who actually appear, that is). Plus, I know Thor is supposed to be Jod's son, but I adopted the Marvel perspective and, that way, Frigga will be his mother in this fiction. I think those are the only three things; maybe there will be more, we'll see... Please keep in mind that English is not my native language. Oh, for the ones who have never read my stories: I'm the queen of short chapters and slow updates. ****Please review after you read it, I'd really like to know if I should keep writing this.**

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**Chapter One**

_**Hope in the Darkness**_

Within the darkness of a cavern, carved from the insides of the highest mountain of the middle earth, was a woman with silky dark hair that cascaded to the middle of her back and a simple blue dress, stained with dirt and blood. Her once beautiful and delicate features were restless, distorted with worry and fear.

She emptied a white liquid on to the water from a wooden bowl, cleaning it. Her actions were quick and blunt, as if she was trying to hurry herself. Kneeling by the underground river, she took another bowl from the pocket of her dress and this one she filled with water.

As soon as her lips felt the refreshing sweet taste, a heartbreaking scream came from a few meters behind her and echoed in the lifeless pit, making a few loose rocks fall onto the ground and shatter. She expected to hear the bats, flying away from the quivering land, but they did not come; perhaps with was nighttime.

The three torches that slightly lightened the belly of the mountain weakened as the sound of agony made itself heard.

Her eyes were set on the origin of the screams as she hurried her pace, almost tripping in her own bare feet for it was hard to stand. A few rocks fell from the ceiling, scrapping her shoulder; yet, she kept on going.

Facing the shadows ahead, she prepared to see that revolting image, that had made her sick so many times before; but to her much greater nausea, she was starting to get used to see it. Ahead, a man lay chained to three boulders with iron chains; his body was stripped of any clothing and covered in dirt and his every muscle visible in desperate attempts of breaking free from his eternal torture.

Above his head, a serpent hung and from its wicked mouth a new stream of white venom fell onto the man's face, burning the skin. In a hurry and slightly mechanically, she placed the bowl above his head, preventing the venom from harming his skin.

He turned his face to her, his beautiful green eyes filled with tears; her free hand wiped them away, caressing his face; from his dried and thin lips, a murmured word: "Sigyn…"

"Shh, I'm here, my love, it's alright."

Shadows of painful moans lingered in his throat as she ran her slim fingers through his dark and dirty hair. Leaning towards him, she placed kisses all over his face until the moans ceased. Tears clouded her own eyes, but she would not let them take control, not anymore; she had to be strong.

"I will make them pay for this." His words were nothing but a whisper, but in the silent cavern, Sigyn heard them perfectly. "They will drown in their children's blood and I will feed my children with their hearts and souls. I shall kill them all."

His voice was fierce and his words vicious; as he spoke, his eyes darkened with the shadows of pure evil and if she still had a heart, it would have shattered in a million pieces and the slightest breeze would scatter them all over the Nine Words to never be assembled again. The dry cough that erupted from his wicked mouth made her place the bowl of water near his lips. He drank half of it, oh so thirsty he was, and then looked at her. For a moment, she swore she saw his old self when he spoke.

"You look so weary." His voice was tender, like it hadn't been in a long time and Sigyn closed her eyes, imagining he had his warm hand on her face, like so many times before, when they were young and naive children and their love was just as pure and reckless.

"I'm alright." Placing the bowl near his head, she dipped a piece of cloth in the remaining water and began cleaning his bloody and bare chest.

"Stop it!" He yelled, only to bite his lips when the chains, against his movements, cut the skin a bit more. "Stop lying to me."

She let the rag fall to her lap, keeping her dark orbs on it and trying not to face her husband. Not that she was afraid of him – well, that wasn't true: she was afraid of what he had become; but, this time, she just didn't want to see the pain and the need for revenge in his once beautiful eyes.

New tears clouded her eyes and, even though she tried to fight them, one of them managed to escape from the prison that were her eyelids and quickly ran through her cheek, leaving a clear path in her dirty face. Unfortunately, that stubborn drop did not go unnoticed by the chained devil; unconsciously, he tried to reach her face, but the chains would not let him and he did not try to fight them this time, he knew it was useless.

"Sigyn… Oh, Sigyn, if you only knew the pain you cause me! You are my real torture; to see you like this… that is my sentence, my one true binding. Your sad eyes, that once held nothing but happiness and peace, will be my death!" His eyes were closed and his face twisted in pain; there was that ghost of a man again, the one she once knew so well but now, well, now he was a complete stranger.

"Don't say those things."

"But they're all true. They're all true." Then, he opened his eyes, and his face went from loving to cruel in less than a heartbeat; now that was the man she knew. "That was what they wanted all along. They threw me in here knowing you would never leave me and they knew it would pain me to see you as a slave."

"Stop it…" Sigyn's hands went to her heart; she only knew she still had one when she felt it twitch in pain again: it had been quiet for oh so long. She would rather not have a heart at all, than that crippled little thing.

"They killed our son and they knew it would mangle you because no one loved him more than you did. Your own pain is what pains me. Not the venom, not the chains, not the hunger or the thirst; your devotion is my punishment."

"Loki, please, don't. Your words hurt me as much as what they have done."

Her tears streamed now freely, she had no strength to fight them anymore. She didn't want to. Yet, her sobs were silent and she did her best to hide her face from him, but it was hard: how could she hide her face when she was cursed to hold that bowl until the final judgment? He didn't speak for a while, instead, he watched as the tears fell onto her lap, staining the already dirty dress. Then, when her sobs ceased and all that there was were the tracks of tears in her face, he spoke softly.

"You should leave."

"What?" Her voice was nothing but a whisper, for she found herself unable to collect the amount of energy necessary to speak properly.

"Leave, Sigyn. Follow that dim light up ahead; it must be the sun; follow it and run until you cannot hear my voice anymore. Run until you feel the grass on your feet instead of these rocks that make you bleed. Run until you have nothing above you but the clear blue skies and the sun and until your heart does not hurt anymore."

"I won't. I won't leave you."

"Don't argue with me. Just do as I tell you."

"No! I won't. You are in no position to ask me such a thing. The only way I will leave this cavern is if your hand is holding mine and your feet are moving right beside mine." As she spoke, she found that something inside her grew bigger; some sort of flame that heated her body, that made her stronger, yet lighter.

She had never heard her voice so decisive, and the last time she had felt so sure of something was when she married that wrecked soul. She was married to him, and good wives never leave their husbands; while everyone gave up on him, she was the only person who stayed and, therefore, the only one who truly cared. And she did care, she loved him; she would take her own life if it meant he would know how she felt. "You are my husband and I will take care of you; even if it means I will never see the sun again."

Loki closed his eyes, his lips were nothing but a thin line; his breathing, slow but his words careless. "A good wife does as her husband says."

"Then I guess I'm a terrible wife. And yet, still the best you could find." She held her hand to his face, caressing his warm skin; a resemblance of a smile haunted his lips as he turned his head to kiss her hand softly. In his eyes, she saw that small light again: her husband was still in there.

Leaning forward, Sigyn placed a soft kiss on his lips, to which he replied with that fire of his, that passion that, somehow, didn't get lost along with his soul. Somewhere deep inside that mangled body, was the loving young man she had fell in love with in her youth. And if she tried really hard – if she showed him there's more to life than revenge, that there's also love, forgiveness, peace and that sometimes you just have to let things go – then perhaps she could get him back.


	2. Lead Me Back

**AN: I recently changed this story to the plain Norse Mythology category, but since that moment I decided to include a few more things from the universe of Marvel's Thor, therefore I changed it back to the crossover category. Also, as a _thank you_ to the strange excitement she shows towards this story, this chapter is dedicated to Sig (WalkingSaint). **

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**Chapter Two**

_**Lead me back**_

Beams of sunlight caressed his face and the wind of that afternoon blew warm and soft against his skin, as he leaned back on the old oak tree. The light was often overcome by the shadows created by the branches of the tree, which danced to the wind's mumbled song. From the palace up in the hill, he could hear the roaring sounds of men yelling and laughing and the low sound of music, muffled by those uncultured barbarians.

With an agile pale finger, he turned a yellowed page of the leather bound book. Although being concentrated on his reading, in the back of his mind he wondered if anyone in the hall questioned themselves about his absence or if anyone even noticed it at all. The answer was most definitely negative: if his brother was present, no one would even remember he existed. Thor was the future king, the rightful heir of Odin, and he was just a boy overshadowed by his big brother. Besides, it was nice to be alone, away from all that noise and all that drinking and swearing. The book he held was all the company he needed and, lately, books were his only true companions: loyal, silent and knowledgeable companions.

With his slim fingers, he turned the page again and commenced reading the scriptures, as the brute sounds of equally brute man raged from inside the great hall of Valhalla. From inside the palace, the screech of steel hitting steel made itself heard: the Allfather's warriors could not have a meal without unsheathing their swords. _Animals_, he thought, as he turned his attention to the next leaf.

The fight had stopped when the raven haired man lifted his green eyes from the book and gazed upon the sky with all its calmness. A couple of crows crossed the skies, disrupting the clear blue with their dark feathers. After a while, he returned his attention to the letters, but something quickly made him raise his gaze again. Somewhere in the garden, a woman laughed the most beautiful and chiming laughter he had ever heard. It was loud, melodious and full of light. Following it, two distinct female voices echoed in between the trees and bushes, but one overcame the other – not in volume, but in beauty: it was as harmonious as the river that ran through the Valhalla's gardens, perhaps even more.

Leaning forward, the man peeped from the back of the oak tree, scrutinizing the gardens behind him. Passing by an apple tree, two young women walked in his direction: they did not see him and conversed cheerfully. Loki recognized the blonde one immediately: Idun carried her _eski _wherever she went. But it was the woman beside her that caught his attention: the silk light green dress she wore contrasted with the darkness of her hair that fell in loose curls to her waist. Her skin seemed porcelain and she exhibited that smile he had seen her carry as many times as he had seen the blonde carry her wooden box. As they came closer, the man reluctantly returned to his previous position.

"Sigyn, you know I'm not one to speak wrongly of anyone – even if it's _him_ – but he truly is mischievous. I would even dare to say he has no hint of good and light inside him."

"You are right." The raven haired woman's words were serious and quick. "You _truly_ are not one to speak wrongly of people." Her voice had now acquired a sarcastic, yet playful tone and her words made him smile conspicuously. They were getting closer at each word and he could now hear them loud and clear.

"You naïve child." Despite Sigyn's indifference, the apple keeper kept on speaking in a strict and knowledgeable manner, in the same way mothers speak to their naughty and reckless children. "Do you not know what he has done? Have you seen his _monstrous_ offspring?" Sigyn began to speak, but the blonde did not let her, overcastting her voice with her desperate words. "Loki himself is a _monster_!"

"Careful, dearest Idun, you might hurt my feelings." Loki did not move as he spoke and his expression was as contained and calm as ever. From Idun's lips, a suffocated shriek escaped and once he got up and took a step out of the shadows, the surprise in both of the women's faces were more than visible. But while in the blonde's face there was also fear, Sigyn's displayed some degree of amusement and in her lips was a smile, although she tried to conceal it. "What now? Did one of my monstrous children eat your tongue?"

There was the crystalline giggle again; confronted with Idun's reproachful look, the young brunette's lips turned into a thin line as she tried to keep herself from laughing any further. When she saw him gazing from the corner of his eye, Sigyn drew a coy smile on her soft pink lips.

"Come, Sigyn, we must return to the hall."

"Do you not want to see the flower I told you about anymore?"

"You can show it to me some other time. Come, before your father notices you're gone." As she heard her friend's words, Sigyn placed an obstinate expression on her gentile face.

"I'll stay for a bit longer, it's dreadfully loud inside."

Idun, who was on the verge of storming off, sent the younger woman a look of disapproval, but said nothing; instead, she composedly turned her back to them and walked towards the hall, without looking back. Both Loki and Sigyn observed her in silence, until she could no longer be seen, but the silence reigned longer than that. The quietude was such that the coal haired man could hear the petite woman breathe.

"Perhaps you should go." It took him a while until he decided that would be the right thing to say. "I'm certain you don't want your father to arrive and see you in my company."

"He will not see us. Father is too entertained and Idun is not courageous enough to disrupt the bond between a man and his mead."

"And are you sure she is not foolish enough to do it?"

"Yes." She spoke with certainty, while still looking at the place where they had last seen the retrieving figure of Idun.

"You know it would be just as foolish of you to stay."

"Perhaps not." And once again silence reigned between them, but this time it wasn't for long.

"In that case, I would greatly fancy seeing that flower." The grin that flourished on her lips was of such a splendor that Loki doubted that, no matter how magnificent the flower was, it could never be as impressive as she.

The young woman led the way towards the gardens, with Loki a few steps to her right; for half of the way, neither of them pronounced a single word or made any other sound than the ones that were necessary to their journey. At a certain point, the trickster could swear he saw a crow observing them from the highest branch of an elm tree, but once he looked at it, the bird flew away in a hurry.

From the corner of his eye, the youngest Odinson would often look at his companion, absorbing the way she looked to the nature around her: was the light in her eyes made only of love and admiration? To that proximity, Loki could see how the sun would reveal red or copper highlights in her dark brown hair depending on the way the light hit her. Her doe eyes, as brown and warm as the earth, never ceased to observe her surroundings with both curiosity and familiarity. Suddenly, the elegant woman stopped and her eyes widened.

"Have you come to your senses yet?" Loki's voice was calm and composed, as any man's voice should be, but inside him was a voice yelling, screaming and begging for it to not be true.

"What do you mean have I come to my senses?" She took a few careful steps forward, distancing herself from him, but he did not move.

"Have you realized it was an awful idea to not have returned to the feast?"

"No. Was it?" She talked with no fear and with the most recklessness he had ever heard from such a woman: her lips had no problem with any word and he came to the conclusion that he liked that.

"You tell me."

"You would never see this if I had not stayed." Then, she turned to him while stepping aside, revealing a tall bush with dark green leaves and one single flower. It had numerous petals, almost as many as the number of stars in the sky and it looked like a common rose, but this was obviously no rose: its petals were not nor white nor yellow, neither pink nor red. To his great surprise, the flower was of the same color as gold and shone just as much. Gently, is fingers reached for its petals: they were not made of actual gold and were as soft as any other petals.

"Is it not the most beautiful thing you have seen?"

"It is one of the two most beautiful; that is certain." No matter how beautiful and unique it was, it was not more magnificent than the woman that stood next to him, especially when she had that expression on her face. The colour of the petals reflected on her bright eyes, tainting the inviting brown with gold. "Would you like to have it?"

She looked at him confused, still astonished by the beauty of the flower, but then she shook her head and there was no longer gold in her eyes. "I fear that it may be the only flower to ever blossom there."

"Innocent bird, do you not know than in that bush will blossom as many flowers as your heart desires?"

"Idun was right, you are a liar. What a shameless man, you are lying right now."

"Am I?" With a single gesture of Loki's hand, hundreds of new flowers unexpectedly erupted from the branches of the dark bush and the woman was rendered speechless. Her whole expression shone as bright as the roses and, once she looked at him, Loki found himself as taken aback as she.

"How long will they last?"

"Forever, if you want them to. And two will sprout for each that is plucked away, if that is your wish. The bees that drink their nectar will learn to speak your name and the entire Nine Worlds will know who you are: Sigyn, the queen of the flowers of gold."

"You should not say those things, you know it is not right. If someone hears you, we will both be ruined."

"Let them hear. I would rather let them kill me than to keep these truths away."

"Hold your tongue. Those words of yours are most definitely not truths. The roses cannot blossom forever for they will only be as long as you are alive to enchant them. Bees cannot speak and I certainly am no queen."

"You are right." With another gesture, the trickster made a wreath of golden flowers appear in her hair. "Queens have crowns."

A frightened and muffled screech left her lips when a crow took flight from in between the branches of an elm tree. In his lips, a mute word formed: _Father_; desperate and scared, Sigyn grabbed the garland and threw it to his feet and, before running away, looked at him with fear and the sparkle of tears in her eyes.

"You have ruined me, Loki."

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**AN: For those who might be confused, apparently poetry and words of endearment towards one's betrothed weren't really seen as a good thing in the Viking Age and I imagine the same consequences - or even worse - would apply to non engaged people, thus Sigyn's reaction. Also, if a man expressed his admiration towards a woman, he would do so with great risk to his life. That is all.  
****Please review, I'd love to know what you think!****  
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	3. Hold Me Still

_**AN: So, I'd like to thank Sig (Sigyn Carlton) for her help with this chapter; she's freakishly awesome. Please review after you read it, I'd love to know what you guys think of this story so far. Thank you for reading!**_

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**Chapter Three**

_**Hold me still**_

His eyes opened eager to see the light of day, but all they saw was utter darkness. He waited for the warm sunrays to bathe his cold skin, but the blessing never came. No matter how much he tried, he could not get up for the chains that imprisoned him not only restrained his movements but also tore the skin where they touched, staining his pale skin with blood. Slowly, the darkness became less vacant and some forms distinguishable. To his right, there was nothing but the insides of the mountain and a fading torch; above his head, the ceiling of the cavern seemed to be unreachable but a pair of dirty and trembling hands held a worn out bowl. He followed the shape of those gentle arms to his left and found her gazing the darkness of the cavern with bloodshot eyes and tracks of tears on her cheeks. Stretching his arm as much as he could, the dark haired man with the dirty skin reached for her knee, placing his hand in her leg.

Her sad dark orbs turned to his green ones and although she tried to show him a smile, her entire body shuddered in a silent sob. Quickly, she averted her gaze and focused on what seemed to be her eternal punishment for loving such an evil and reckless monster.

"Put it down." His voice was but a whisper but the request was noticeable and his eyes true. Still, she held on to the bowl with both her hands and a strong determination; his hand gently squeezed her leg, with all the remaining strength he had left. "Put it down, Sigyn. Do as I say."

"No, Loki." Yet another sob made her body shudder, as she bit her lips in order to hold it in. Under her eyes, dark circles distorted her once joyful face and where that effortless smile used to be, now stood an empty throne.

"Look at me, my love."

Once he said those words with such a caring sound in his wicked lips, Sigyn's eyes widened and she fixed her gaze on him, with nothing but hope in her eyes. It was if she could see something in him that she once thought to have been lost forevermore.

"Put it down." Her lips parted to his response, but no words came; Loki nodded with an exhausted smirk and she slowly set the bowl aside. For a while, her eyes gazed into the serpent – as black and as evil as night – but no venom seemed to emerge. "Leave it."

Looking one more time at their eternal punisher, Sigyn lay down beside her husband and rested her head on the crook of his neck, while locking fingers with him. They lay quietly for a while, absorbing each other's scents and listening to each other's heartbeats; then, the raven haired woman felt Loki's chest heave and his heartbeats hastening. Her eyes opened only to see the venom fall onto his chest, so close to her shoulder, and thus the woman tried to get up. But the man would not let go of her hand, tightening the grip around her fingers: if it was from the desire of never being parted of her or pain from the snake's poison she would never know. So strong was his grip that she could not reach for the bowl and therefore she tried to place her arm closer to his neck, so as the venom's curse would fall upon her and not him, but he pulled her hand down with all the strength he had.

"Don't." Although he was in excruciating pain, Loki still found the determination to sound strong and sure of himself, but his wife knew him better than that. She had seen him suffer too many times not to see through his façade and yet he kept on begging her not to leave him. "Don't."

In the exact moment his face twisted in pain, Sigyn leaned forward and placed a kiss on his tight lips. The venom fell onto her back but she did not scream like she would have before; instead, she deepened the kiss and cupped his face with her free hand whenLoki – _her_ Loki, that passionate and fiery man she had married – responded. And when he kissed her back, she did not feel the scorching pain; she felt nothing but him, tracing her mouth with his and his hand holding hers as if the world would end if they ever parted again. As long as she could keep _that _man alive, she would need nothing else.

.

**T**he moon had already set about its path for a while when he strode inside the great hall of Valhalla. Odin sat at his throne with both his crows resting quietly on his shoulders and the wolves by his feet. His face exhibited a composed expression, but Loki had seen that image several times before and did not let himself be fooled by his father's apparently unruffled disposition. He walked to the centre of the audience hall and stood quietly, waiting for the king of Asgard to speak. His eyes quickly averted to Frigga, who sat beside her husband with a truly concerned face.

"You foolish boy!" Although his face remained calm, there was a palpable frustration within the Allfather's deep voice; from Loki's mouth no word was pronounced and such lack of communication seemed to trigger Odin. "Do you have nothing to say?!"

"Father, I –"

"You have disgraced this family to an unimaginable extent; as if your preceding mistakes have not been enough to do so!" As he spoke, his face reddened and the crows became startled, flapping their wings in discontent. This time, Loki had no time to voice the simplest of words, for when Odin became mad, no one else could speak but him. "To speak to a damsel in such a way without having wedded her! Have that giantess and your gruesome children not been enough shame?"

The king gripped the arm of his high chair in fury while opening his mouth to proffer yet another torrent of angry words, but Frigga placed her hand on his, squeezing it gently. Only then did Odin lean back on the chair, pinching the bridge of his long nose. When he spoke again, his voice was calmer and his face returned to its natural color.

"You have disgraced yourself many times, son, as you have disgraced this family. But never have you dishonored another family or another person of such importance to us."

"I –"

"Quiet, boy!"

Behind his back, Loki's hands closed in fists and gripped the air until the knuckles of his fingers were as white as the floor he stood on. The deepest sigh exited Odin's lips as two thick and short fingers pinched his nose once again.

"What should I do about your insolence, son?"

"Even gods make mistakes." Frigga, who had been quietly listening to her husband's infuriated words, looked upon Odin as she spoke; then she averted her attention to her son for a brief moment. "Some more than others. There is no doubt that our son's behavior has been ignominious, but Einarr is a wise and merciful man and possibly your concern is exaggerated, husband."

Odin gravely nodded at his wife, looking slightly more relaxed. "I have sent for him and we will speak in the morning. Your attendance is crucial, Loki."

"Yes, Father." A brush of Odin's hand was enough to indicate the young man he should leave and Loki quickly retired to his chambers, where he dined in the company of his books.

Hours went by as he sat in the armchair by the fire with his eyes lost in a book; he closed his eyes to reflect upon some words and, when he opened them again, all there was left of the fire were embers and the sun peeped from behind the horizon. In the corridors of the palace, busy servants ran about in their chores, cleaning and scrubbing.

Loki descended to the West Hall, where his father sat in the head of the table, surrounded by his family. Thor's laughter overthrew any of his brothers' as Sif sat by his side, while breaking fast in silence. Everyone conversed joyfully, but a shadow of anxiety overcastted Odin's and Frigga's eyes when they saw him; nodding, he took his place beside Thor.

It didn't take long before a servant entered the room, announcing the arrival of Odin's guests. Einarr entered the room with a peaceful face and quickly bowed to his king, who lost no time in breaking the silence that had settled.

"Ha, Einarr, I'm truly glad that you joined us. Please, sit and eat, my friend. Will your daughter join us?"

"Yes, my king." Einarr glanced to the outer side of the room, extending a hand as a request. Slowly and gracefully, Sigyn took her father's hand, stepped inside the hall and curved her head gently to the sight of her king and queen. Her silky dark hair fell to her back in loose curls and Loki noticed there was a small white petal stuck in her hair; she most probably had been wandering the gardens again. The dress she wore was of a light shade of pink and had flowers sewn in white on the neckline and sleeves; she had dressed her face with composure, but he saw the strange glow in her eyes as she threw a look in his direction: had she been crying?

Accepting the invitation, Einarr sat in the chair to Odin's left and Sigyn took the only vacant chair and although she was right across the place where Loki sat, she would not face his longing eyes. Instead, she played with her food, taking small pieces of this or that to her mouth once in a while. She did not speak unless someone spoke to her first and despite his burning wanting for her attention, Loki did not dare to call her name. Sometimes, when his attention was on his food, his brothers or even the book he had in his lap, Loki could swear he saw her discretely glancing at him, but every time he returned the glance, her eyes were no longer on him.

"Sigyn, is the food not of your liking?" Frigga's words sounded more than cordial; in the back of her voice was whispered concern, the motherly soul the queen did not show to the majority of their guests and genuine curiosity. It was if as she had noticed the woman's silence and the tension between her and the man across the table.

Swiftly, the big caramel eyes dedicated their attention to the blonde woman, who awaited an answer with a gentle smile on her lips. "Oh, it is nothing of the sort, your highness. It happens I have no appetite."

"I'd say it is time for everyone to go about their lives and for us to speak." Odin got up from his golden chair and headed to the door behind him, with Frigga and Einarr right behind him. Sigyn hurried to follow her father while Odin looked back to his offspring. "Loki."

"Oh-Oh, it would seem you're in trouble, brother." Thor's chuckle filled the silence between them and Loki gave him a forced smile as he crossed the room to join them; all the eyes of his brothers were on him, burning holes to his back.

Instead of leading them to the audience room, Odin stepped into a smaller room, furnished with a big wooden table and some chairs, as well as a few armchairs by the fireplace; in the walls of Odin's private dining room were big tapestries depicting the most various scenes. "I believe we will be more comfortable in here." Then, he faced the servant that had followed them and spoke with a strict voice as he demanded for some mead to be brought to his guests.

While the men made their way to the table, Sigyn stood in a corner, with her eyes lost in the stairs that led to the balcony. In her face, there was some reluctance in joining the discussion, as if she was afraid of what might happen; such reluctance did not go by unnoticed to Frigga's eyes, who swiftly approached the young woman with an offer for an escape. "From that balcony, one has the most beautiful view of the gardens. You can see all the way to the mountains."

"I'd rather sit among you, if it is of everyone's liking." Her voice was barely a whisper, but there was an incredible amount of courage and determination in it. However, despite the bravery she was able to gather, concern twisted her gentle smile in the slightest way.

"Of course; come, child." Said Frigga softly as she walked alongside Sigyn further into the room. They all sat at the table and soon the servant arrived with not only the mead that had been demanded, but also bread and cheese, as well as meat pie, and wild mushrooms with onions, and some fruit. No one was truly hungry, but the food provided some distraction for such a tense conversation.

"Einarr", Odin spoke after a short moment during which the servants poured the drink into everyone's cups. "I fear I must give you an account on a most troubling event."

"If you mean to speak of your son's demeanor towards my daughter, it will be a waste of time: Sigyn has told me all about it in a wave of shame." His words were unexpected, causing a wave of silence between everyone present. Loki raised his eyebrows in surprise, sending Sigyn a long and inquiring look that she did not retort to; she truly was a respectable woman and it had been foolish of Loki to think she would keep such a thing from her father: honor and loyalty towards Einarr were more important to her than self-preservation. Perhaps it was that same loyalty and respect towards the man who had raised her that she refused to speak to or look at Loki or even acknowledge his presence. With a nod of consent from the Allfather's part, the conversation carried on.

"I have come to the conclusion that – considering that my son could not have been more disrespectful towards you or your daughter – it would be appropriate for you to choose how Loki should pay for his actions."

Suddenly, Sigyn raised her eyes to her father and, for a moment, her doe eyes seemed to be drowning in fear; Einarr noticed his daughter's worries and gave her a reassuring smile.

"With all due respect, Allfather, I disagree. There are many ways in which your son could have been more disrespectful." Those quick words provoked a smile in the women's mouths, and there was even a small sign of amusement in Odin's face. "I am aware that my daughter's beauty is an appeal to most men and that it is only natural for them to search for her attention and affection. I see no fault for your son to answer to; he did nothing but speak to Sigyn."

"That is most gracious of you, Einarr. We are truly grateful. Are we not, Loki?" Frigga's voice caught the trickster's attention, who so far had been gazing his cup absently.

"Yes, we are. Thank you."

Smiling in satisfaction, Einarr took a sip of mead while Odin sighed in relief. "If you do not mind, I would like to bring another matter to your attention."

"What is it, my good friend?" Suddenly, Odin was in the vivacious mood, leaning back on the chair and generously sipping from his silver cup.

"Well, my daughter is well into marrying age. She has grown into a desirable woman and it has been a while since I first started my search for the best suitor." Although Frigga's eyes seemed to gleam in anticipation and Odin leaned forward with genuine interest, Loki's eyes focused on Sigyn's sad expression: there was a visible humidity to her doe eyes. "And I am most joyful to announce that I believe I have found him; Steindal will be a great husband and I would like to ask for the blessing of our king and queen."

Under the table, Frigga's hand took a hold of Loki's, but he did not notice: he watched Sigyn with the utmost inquisitiveness and, when a single tear rolled down her cheek, a ghost surrounded his heart with both hands, strangling it at the same time Frigga squeezed his hand.

"It would seem your daughter is not as happy as you appear to be."

"Oh no, my queen." Sigyn promptly brushed the tears away from her face with the back of her hand. "These are tears of joy." As she calmed herself, the air was thick with tension and Sigyn saw to herself to amend things. "Now, if you would excuse me, I would like to see that view you spoke so fondly of." She waited for Odin and Frigga to nod in consent before heading to the stairs with the intent of taking refuge in the balcony.

Only when she got up did she present Loki with her attention; and in that fleeting moment was the saddest face he had ever seen.


End file.
